Hanna to Hiru Gohan (Flowers and Lunch)

A kind, childless woman, the headmistress of an Ikebana school , never married and has no one to leave the school to. She adopts a lovely young woman, teaches her all she knows and sends her to Tokyo University, the Harvard of Japan. In addition to being my youthful fantasy this was a reality for Toko Adachi. She was the daughter of a Zen master and went to live with the Ikebana Headmistress when she was 10 years old. Her adoptive mother died last year and she is now the Ikebana Headmistress. She demonstrated at our Ikebana International luncheon at the Kamakura Park Hotel. My friend Kathy and I have officially eaten more meals together this year than Mike and I have. By the way, it's Kathy and Mike Krentz, we sat with Kathy of Kathy and Mike TI (they made up their names when they emigrated from Taiwan).
So anyway, here is a picture of my frequent dining companion with her favorite accessory.
I have included a picture of my student Keiko in her kimono. Because the chances of Keiko reading this are slim I will tell you that she is over 60 years old. Japanese women don't age and don't get fat. I think that's proof that God is Japanese.....and a woman.